Abstract: Apparatus for progressively dilating the lumen of a narrow natural vessel such as an iliac artery and implanting a tubular device enabling access through the dilated lumen to conduct subsequent procedures via the dilated lumen, includes an inflatable integrated balloon locatable at least partially within the tubular device, the tubular device having a length L1 providing a self-expanding tubular body having at least a portion including stents, so that when the integrated balloon is removed the dilated lumen of the natural vessel remains dilated and supported by the tubular device.

Abstract: Apparatus for progressively dilating the lumen of a narrow natural vessel such as an iliac artery and implanting a tubular device enabling access through the dilated lumen to conduct subsequent procedures via the dilated lumen, includes an inflatable integrated balloon locatable at least partially within the tubular device, the tubular device having a length L1 providing a self-expanding tubular body having at least a portion including stents, so that when the integrated balloon is removed the dilated lumen of the natural vessel remains dilated and supported by the tubular device.

Abstract: A stent graft prosthesis for repair of a defective natural vessel comprises a tubular fabric member having at least first and second ends, wherein at least one of those ends is supported by a combination of two cooperating ring stents of different configurations, and the tubular fabric member is attached at selected points to each ring stent, and at least one ring stent is compressible into a folded saddle shape having two peaks and two valleys, and the other ring stent crosses over the saddle shape ring stent at four points, each point being in a region between a peak and a valley of the folded saddle shape. The other ring stent may be selected from ring stents which when deployed, have a circular or cylindrical shape, or a saddle shape, or one or more V-shaped hinge portions with curvilinear portions therebetween, or a Z-shaped stent.

Abstract: Apparatus for progressively dilating the lumen of a narrow natural vessel such as an iliac artery and implanting a tubular device enabling access through the dilated lumen to conduct subsequent procedures via the dilated lumen, includes an inflatable integrated balloon locatable at least partially within the tubular device, the tubular device having a length L1 providing a self-expanding tubular body having at least a portion including stents, so that when the integrated balloon is removed the dilated lumen of the natural vessel remains dilated and supported by the tubular device.